Web Hosting

Choosing the right plan

Three levels, and the most expensive is almost never the right one for a small organization.

Shared hosting suits a showcase site, a blog or a small shop. Your site shares a server with others: it is inexpensive, needs no maintenance on your side, and is more than enough in most cases.

A virtual server is justified when the site becomes demanding, when particular components have to be installed, or when a shop gets steady traffic. You get guaranteed resources, but administration becomes your responsibility - or ours.

A dedicated server is only justified from a high volume upward. Below that it is spending with no measurable benefit, and we will say so.

What a site needs, beyond disk space

• A security certificate, which is essential: a site without HTTPS is flagged as not secure by browsers.
• An up-to-date version of PHP. Abandoned versions no longer receive fixes and become a way in.
• Business email addresses on your own domain.
• Automatic backups, with restore you can reach.
• A domain name in your own name, not your supplier's. This is the most important point of all.

What it really costs

Three lines to keep separate, often mixed together in offers: the domain name, billed yearly and generally modest; the hosting itself, monthly or yearly depending on the plan; and any maintenance, if you have someone handle the updates.

Be wary of headline prices: the first-year rate is sometimes three times lower than the renewal. Always look at the year-two price, because that is the one you will pay longest.

The domain name belongs to you

We insist on this because we regularly see the opposite: a domain registered in the supplier's name, and a customer discovering they cannot leave without losing their address and their email. Your domain name must be in your name, with your credentials. We always hand them over, even when we manage everything for you.

Migration and taking over an existing setup

Changing host is a routine operation we carry out with no visible interruption: the site and its database are copied, the new environment configured, everything tested, then the domain switched at an agreed time. Email moves with it, which is often the trickiest part.

See also business server installation, online backup and website and application development.

Frequently asked questions

Which plan for a showcase site?

Shared hosting is plenty, with a security certificate and backups. Moving to a virtual server would bring nothing measurable for that kind of site.

Who owns my domain name?

You do, and that is not negotiable. It must be registered in your name with your credentials, even if we manage it day to day.

Does changing host take the site down?

No, when the migration is prepared: the site is copied and tested on the new hosting before the domain switches. Downtime is nil or a few minutes.

Is email included?

Yes, most plans let you create addresses on your own domain. It is also the trickiest part of a migration: we deal with it first.

Can't find your question? It may be in our full FAQ.